LOGIOS is supporting Medellin with the planning of their first battery electric bus public transportation service. Working closely with Metro de Medellín, we completed an extensive process of field data collection (GPS + data logger) along different routes, to develop driving cycles representative of real local operating conditions. With this information and high-precision computational models, we produce reliable projections of the performance that the electric buses will deliver on those routes in Medellin.
The chart that we share here is a sample of the results we produced. It illustrates the dynamic relation between road grade and energy consumption and regeneration of the electric bus under these particular operating conditions. The relation, while very interesting and meaningful from a technical and economic point of view, it’s complex. Developing realistic projections of vehicle performance are critical to help cities make confident strides toward the adoption of clean electromobility, with efficient investments, avoiding failed experiments.
(Author: Santiago Cosentino, Associate Mechanical Engineer, LOGIOS)